Wednesday 22 April, 2020
Happy National Volunteer Week! This week is special to the staff at Saint Louise House because each one of our volunteers is special to us. We rely on your hands and hearts to serve families at Saint Louise House and are grateful that you partner with us to empower women and children to overcome homelessness.
As the Volunteer Coordinator at Saint Louise House, I have the greatest privilege of getting to work with our dedicated volunteers every day. I see first-hand the tremendous impact that each volunteer has on the attitudes of our team members and the hearts of our families. Volunteers do more than just help us accomplish our mission, they make it a joy to serve the community as a community.
At Saint Louise House, we have a variety of volunteer opportunities. Some volunteers spend hours on-site weekly, while others drop off a cake each month. Some volunteers belong to community or corporate groups, while others volunteer with their partner, children, or individually. However, all of our volunteers share in one important trait: you show up for others.
From the simplicity of personal birthday cakes and the arrangement of beautiful, individualized new homes, to the intentional shopping for families’ needs, and everything in between, what seems like a simple donation of time and energy, brings bright smiles and comfort to families and grateful spirits to our staff team.
As a volunteer, if you ever wonder about the impact you are making, let me tell you – your impact is huge. As a team, we spent some time recognizing the ways that volunteers truly make our program better. See what some of our staff had to say below.
Laura Ward
Executive Director
“Our volunteers transform caring and compassion into action – actions that make a positive impact in the lives of every mom and every child in their journey to overcome homelessness and achieve economic security.”
Cristal M.
Family Engagement Specialist
“We are so grateful to every volunteer who has helped setup an apartment for the Saint Louise House community. Each volunteer group has left their own small mark during an apartment setup. They leave every apartment feeling homey, and that has an everlasting impact on new families as soon as they walk in the door.”
Jenna W.
Family Services Specialist
“I have heard from so many families that their kids love this part of their week where they get to read with volunteers one-on-one, practice mindfulness, play with their neighbors, and participate in crafts brought in by our volunteers. These nights would not be nearly as successful or high quality without our caring team of volunteers showing up each week!”
Kathryn A.
Program Services Coordinator
“Saint Louise House program volunteers are vital to our day-to-day operations. Without our office volunteers, we would have to spend more time doing data entry and general office maintenance tasks. We depend on our volunteers so we can be available and supportive in person to our program participants!”
Katie M.
Community Outreach and Special Event Coordinator
“To have a group of people that you can call on when you’ve bit off more than you can chew is very special. I’m always striving to do more in a day than can be done, and our volunteers make it possible to get it all done. I’ve told many people that working at Saint Louise House has taught me gratitude in a new way – I can make absolutely crazy requests with confidence because I know that we have a community willing and ready to come together for families in need.”
Sara S.
Resiliency & Empowerment Partner
“The impact of our flower donations from volunteers provides positive benefits on our families’ health and well-being by improving stress reduction and helping them find peace of mind. Our families expressed that receiving flowers warms their hearts and brings joy to their homes.”
Taylor A.
Volunteer Coordinator
“Our volunteers inspire me every day. I’m grateful for volunteers who make time in their schedule to lend a hand, directly impacting the families of Saint Louise House. They are consistent, hard-working, flexible, and always up for a challenge. Thank you for everything you do.”
Maria K.
Community Engagement and Grants
“Volunteers are the very heart and soul of Saint Louise House. The families who live here feel your faith in them through meals and birthday cakes, thoughtful touches in beautiful apartments, and in the hours they know you put in to support them. Your faith in them gives mothers and children the confidence in themselves they need to succeed. And to be honest, your faith in Saint Louise House does the same for staff.”
Volunteering looks a little bit different right now, and that’s okay. We know you still stand with our families and that you are ready to serve in your normal capacity as soon as possible. We can’t wait to see you again soon and are thinking of you in the meantime.
If you would like to volunteer at Saint Louise House, you can complete an application online and even start your training virtually. Learn more and sign up here. We can’t wait to get to know you and welcome you to this incredible and caring community.
With Gratitude,
Taylor Arrington
Volunteer Coordinator